Playback and subscriptions

Subscription plans define what subscribers may watch. Each plan has a code, an effective period, a policy reference and an active marker, and belongs to an organization. Each published asset is offered under a plan.

When playback is authorized for a protected session, the subscriber’s entitlement is checked against the plan first. The session is then recorded against the asset with its sequence, playback date, watched minutes, duration, playback errors, entitlement reference and the source record it came from. Watched intervals are measured distinctly, so a viewer who rewinds does not count the same minutes twice. The session outcome starts as Pending and becomes Accepted once the external outcome is confirmed, or Rejected. An outcome that cannot be confirmed is held for reconciliation.

• Plan first. An asset is offered under a plan with a clear effective period. Playback outside that period is not entitled.
• Session per source record. Each session carries the source record identifier from your player or analytics feed, so a repeated event does not create a second session.
• Confirm the outcome. Pending sessions are confirmed as Accepted or Rejected. Rejected sessions keep their reason for follow-up.

Agree the plan codes and effective dates before loading sessions. Agree what your player or analytics feed sends as the source record identifier and the entitlement reference. Decide how playback errors are counted, for example failed starts plus mid-stream stalls. Agree who follows up rejected sessions and how quickly. Agree whether watched minutes are rounded and how.

A subscriber on the Standard plan starts a 52-minute episode on March 3, watches 30 minutes, rewinds 10 minutes and finishes the episode. The session is recorded with 52 watched minutes, matching the episode, and two playback errors from a network stall. The entitlement reference matches an active Standard subscription, the external outcome is confirmed and the session is Accepted.

The same evening another viewer tries to watch a Premium title on a Standard plan. The entitlement check fails and the session is Rejected. It appears on Rejected Playback Sessions, and the Playback Operator opens a follow-up action to check whether the title was offered under the wrong plan.

• Pending Playback Sessions — Sessions waiting for a confirmed outcome, with watched minutes, errors and entitlement reference.
• Rejected Playback Sessions — Sessions refused on entitlement or outcome, with source reference and description.

• Playback authorization and measurement: Validate entitlement, record the session and confirm its outcome.
• Reconciliation and follow-up: Match what playback earned and resolve exceptions.

Connect your player and analytics feed before the pilot.